Watching reported West Ham United and Everton target Charles De Ketelaere in full flow brings to mind a certain Manchester City superstar.
The way he glides past opponents, the balletic elegance that belies his rangy frame, the ability to pick the right pass at precisely the right time. There are certainly shades of Jack Grealish in Club Brugge’s 6ft 4in lock-picker.
But, ahead of tonight’s Champions League group-stage clash with Pep Guardiola’s star-studded side, De Ketelaere hopes to emulate another City slicker.
“I cannot deny Kevin is an example (for me),” admits the stylish 20-year-old, who channelled his inner De Bruyne with a perfectly weighted assist during the recent 2-1 triumph over RB Leipzig in the Champions League (HLN).
“Everyone has their own style but there are a lot of things from his game I try to improve in my game. He’s not the only player I look at but he has a lot of qualities (I want to perfect).
“If I could pick a few qualities? His shot, his two-footedness and the ease with which he puts the ball where he wants.”
Everton and West Ham target De Ketelaere hopes to emulate teammate De Bruyne
If De Bruyne is the poster boy of this so-called Golden Generation of Belgian football, De Ketelaere – ten years his junior – offers hope for the future, hopes of a new generation succeeding Eden Hazard, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Axel Witsel, to name a few.
It was fitting, then, that De Bruyne set up De Ketelaere’s first international goal, a moment of baton-passing significance during Belgium’s Nations League third-place play-off defeat to Italy last week.
According to Calciomercato, top-flight rivals Everton and West Ham United have joined AC Milan and Napoli in the race for De Ketelaere’s signature ahead of the winter transfer window.
And, with January just two-and-a-half months away, the 20-year-old could hardly have been handed a better opportunity to prove he belongs on a bigger stage.
Hold his own against De Bruyne, Grealish and co in Europe’s premier club competition and it’s surely only a matter of time before another Jupiler League graduate secures his place among the elite.
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